October 02, 2011, 4:01AM

It may not be Shakespeare, but Montgomery’s Alabama Shakespeare Festival is kicking off its new season this week with something with bite. It’s “Dracula,” William McNulty’s adaptation of the Bram Stoker vampire novel. It opens Friday and runs, appropriately, through Oct. 30, the night before Halloween. But that’s just the beginning of a season that includes Tony Award-winning musical,... Full story »

October 02, 2011, 3:11AM

Some new releases coming this week. For more on these and other books, go to www.bookreporter.com. “Shock Wave: A Virgil Flowers Novel” by John Sandford - Fiction (Putnam Adult) — The superstore chain PyeMart has its sights set on a Minnesota river town, but two very angry groups want to stop it: local merchants fearing for their businesses, and environmentalists... Full story »

September 26, 2011, 9:55PM

Theatre Downtown’s production of “Moon Over Buffalo” is a tad infuriating. On the one hand, it can be very, very funny, thanks mainly to the game performances of a group of fine comic actors. On the other, it clocks in at 2 hours and feels like one more. Ken Ludwig’s farce moves along swimmingly until the last half-hour or... Full story »

September 20, 2011, 1:05PM

Camp Rock: The Musical, presented by Magic City Actors Theatre at the Virginia Samford Theatre; through Sunday; 251-1206. Review gets three stars out of five “Camp Rock: The Musical” is just about the silliest, sugariest piece of fluff you’re ever going to see on a stage. Five minutes into it, you know what’s going to happen from beginning to... Full story »

September 20, 2011, 6:34AM

Gone is the iconic turntable, replaced with more realistic sets with backdrops based on Victor Hugo’s drawings for his 1862 novel about prisoner Jean Valjean and inspector Javert’s decades-long quest to capture him. Full story »

September 16, 2011, 4:00PM

September 16, 2011, 12:47PM

"Title of Show," at Terrific New Theatre, 2821 Second Ave. South, through Oct. 15. Tickets: $25; 328-0868 Review gets three out of five stars At the end of “Title of Show,” the charming little musical that opened Thursday at Terrific New Theatre, Jeff and Hunter sing about the audiences’ potential reaction to their new show. “I’d rather be nine... Full story »

September 16, 2011, 12:47PM

"Title of Show," at Terrific New Theatre, 2821 Second Ave. South, through Oct. 15. Tickets: $25; 328-0868 Review gets three out of five stars At the end of “Title of Show,” the charming little musical that opened Thursday at Terrific New Theatre, Jeff and Hunter sing about the audiences’ potential reaction to their new show. “I’d rather be nine... Full story »

September 16, 2011, 8:58AM

Do you hear the people sing? Come Tuesday you will, as the 25th anniversary production national tour of “Les Miserables” sweeps into town for an eight-performance run presented by Broadway in Birmingham. One of the most successful musicals of all time, “Les Mis” has a storied history, dating back to Victor Hugo’s 1862 book. This version of “Les Mis”... Full story »

September 12, 2011, 9:02PM

William Shanks Jr., a noted attorney and a beloved member of Birmingham’s theater community, died Sunday after a brief illness. He was 61. Mr. Shanks, a partner at Balch & Bingham LLP, was the outgoing president of the board of Terrific New Theatre and the incoming president for Red Mountain Theatre Company, just two of the many arts groups... Full story »